Miter saws are used for cutting many different types of material, including lumber of different types and synthetic materials. The typical miter saw includes a base or a platform on which a turntable is positioned. The turntable includes a workpiece support surface to support a workpiece to be cut by the miter saw. A support assembly is coupled to the turntable and functions to support a cutting assembly that is operable to perform a cutting operation on the work piece. The support assembly includes adjustable components which enable the cutting assembly to move away from or toward the support surface in order to cut the workpiece. The support assembly also typically includes other adjustable components configured to pivot the cutting assembly about an angle inclined with respect to a plane of the support surface along the direction of a saw blade slot in order to produce beveled or angled cuts on the work piece.
In many, if not all powered miter saws, the miter saw includes a lock system to lock or to hold the saw blade at a desired inclined cutting angle established by a user. Since the inclined cutting angle often displaces at least some of the components from a location of balance, the lock system must provide reliable and repeatable fixed locations, each of which remains stationary during a cutting operation.
Different types of bevel lock systems are known and used on miter saws and are typically characterized by complex, heavy, and expensive components. Such designs are described in the following patents and patent application: U.S. Pat. No. 7,311,028B2; U.S. Pat. No. 7,703,366B2; U.S. Pat. No. 7,127,977B2; US2009/0249933A1; US2012/0160073, U.S. Pat. No. 6,758,123B2; U.S. Pat. No. 7,631,587B2; and U.S. Pat. No. 8,176,823B2. In particular, a front accessible bevel lock system including steel cams and connecting arms is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 7,631,587B2. In another of the above referenced patents, U.S. Pat. No. 8,176,823B2, a bevel lock system includes two brake pads clamping on a sheet metal plate. In addition, commercially available miter saws having locking systems are available from Robert Bosch LLC of Farmington Hills, Mich. USA. Such miter saws include the Bosch CM12 miter saw equipped with a brake pad style bevel lock and the Bosch GCM12SD miter saw equipped with a front accessible bevel lock system.
As can be seen in the above references, the locking sytems include a large number of components which are arranged in complex fashion. Not only do the locking systems require accurately formed components to achieve a locking function, the number and complexity of components increases the amount of time necessary to assemble a locking system for a miter saw. Therefore, there is a need for a powered miter saw having an adjustable saw blade which can be fixed in position using a locking system having a reduced footprint, reduced complexity, and reduced assembly time.